Letter-box



. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-She-et 1. E.V WOLF. LETTER B0X. V No. 507,956.Patented 001;. 31, 189s.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

' E. WOLF. LETTER BOX.

No. 507,956. Patented o0t.31,1a93.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WOLF, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,956, dated October31, 1893.

Application iled December 22, 18'92. Serial No. 456,053. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, EDWARD WOLF, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of laltimore city,in the State of Maryland, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement 1n Letter-Boxes, of which thefollowing 1s a description.

Thisl invention relates to an improvement in letter boxes, and moreparticularly to that class employed in street service.

The object of the invention is to produce a letter box of the abovedescription which will effectually prevent unauthorized removal of themail matter when once deposited.

A further object is to provide a letter box having its walls soconstructed as to prevent any catching of mail matter between the saidwalls and the pocket when the latter is turned down for the removal ofthe mail matter.

A further object is to provide a mail box havlng a removable bottomwhereby to facilitate the depositing of themail matter within a bag,thus obviating the necessity of thrusting the hand within the box forthat purpose, Jits with mail boxes of the ordinary construcion.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a mail box as will be herevinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure1, is a vertical transverse section of the mail box constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2, isa vertical longitudinalsectional view of the same. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the shutterand its Aattached mechanism removed fromthe box.

Referring to the drawings, 1, designates the box, the upper portion ofwhich is provided wlth a curved top 2, a ledge 3, and a pivoted {iap orshutter et for closing the mail opening.

The hap or shutter is pivoted at its lower end in the respective sidesof the box by means of a pintle or rod 6, and is provided at its upperend and at each side with a lug or projection 7, and a continuous flange8, extending at an angle to the shutter proper and forming a stop. At apoint near the rear side of the box, and on each side thereof, is piv'oted a link 9 to which is secured a deliecting plate 10, eitherintegrally or by means of suitable fastening devices. To each of thelinks 9 is.V pivotally attached a lever-arm 11, the free end of eaclrofwhich is pivotally attached to one of the lugs 7 of the shutter. Whenthe shutter is closed the deliecting plate assumes an angle sufficientto project the mailnratter into the pocket, and when the shutter isopened the deliecting plate is brought to the position indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1, with the flange 8, bearing upon the plate andserving to limit its upward movement. The

downward movement of the plate is limited by means of a rigid stop `12,clearly shown in Fig. l.

The pocket 13, to which referencehas been made, is of the ordinaryshape. As before stated, it is desirous to prevent any catching ofmail-matter between the sides of the pocket and the box, and in order toaccomplish this result the lower portion of the side walls of the boxare made double, as shown at 14, and between these double walls thesides of the pocket work. The upper ends of the double walls areconnected with the sides proper by means of an inclined piece 15, whichserves to prevent any lodgment of mail at this point. The pocket is heldin place by means of an ordinary lock 16, such as is usually employed.The function ofthe pocket is to permit of the removal of the mail by theletter carrier in the usual manner, but should it be desirous to depositthe mail directly in a bag, such construction would not be found toanswer the purpose. In order to provide for this contingency the bottom17, of the box is made removable and works in guides 18 formed in thelower portion of the sides of the box. The upper surface of the bottomis provided with a series of ribs or corrugations 19 which are designedto be engaged by fingers 20 car- IOO der to permit of the introductionof a wire or l the like, and bythe time the shutter has been moved downa sufficient distance to permit of the removal of any mail matter, thedeflecting plate will have assumed a position which will furtherpreclude the admission of the wire, while a further raising of the platewill bring the fiange 8 into Contact with it, and thus close ingress tothe box.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, ils- 1. A mail-box having amail-opening and a shutter pivoted at its lower end and arranged toclose the said opening and having a rearward extendingiiange on itsupper portion, in combination with a pivoted deiecting-plate EDWARDWOLF.

Witnesses:

LOUIS KRUMMJ r., p J. S. RUsKL

